There are really only two types of competitor: 1. Obvious 2. Hidden The obvious competitors are, well, obvious! You'll probably know who they are. You might even meet up for a drink with them and bump into them at networking events. You'll have analysed their offerings and differentiated yours. You know these guys. In fact if you're a Lean MarketerTM you probably know them better than they know themselves! But what of these "hidden" competitors? Well, you know these too. They're: Mr Do Nothing and Mrs Do It Myself. Mr Do Nothing - this is usually, but not always, a curious prospect. Mr Do Nothing, will speak to so many people that he paints himself into a corner of inactivity. He's too afraid to do anything because he's had so much advice. You can help him - make life simple. Take away the risks. There's another version of Mr Do Nothing, and that's the guy who'll wait till the next big thing comes along. He can't decide now because next week there might be something different. He might meet someone who's cheaper, faster, bigger, better next week. Mr Do Nothing quite often turns into a desperate prospect. He's waited so long that now it's actually urgent. He needs you NOW! Remember what I said about desperate people? Avoid them unless you want future misery. Now, Mrs Do It Myself is a different kettle of fish. Quite often she'll start out as your curious prospect too. However, she has a very different agenda, she's information gathering. That way, when she does do it herself, she'll have picked the brains of all the best people around - in other words you! How do you work out whether a hidden competitor is lurking? By building a relationship on a one to one basis. By offering incentives, then upping the ante by asking for payment for the next offering. Here are some techniques for each hidden competitor: Outing a Mr Do Nothing * Stop talking to him - he's happy to get advice and attention while he's not paying for it * Ask for a decision - spell out all the stuff you've done so far and then say, "What do you need in order to make a decision now?" * Do Nothing! Outing a Mrs Do It Myself * Again, stop talking to her unless she'd like to pay, of course! * Ask outright, "Are You Considering Doing This All Yourself?" then judge by her response - if she is, say great! Good luck with it. If not then ask, "What do you need in order to make a decision to use us now?" * Write or develop a product so she can do it herself - then sell it to her. Speak Soon, |
